wanted yamaha yz or mx 250

[mx250]

is it that blue one with the late model guards ?  is that a points or cdi bike ?

All MX250's came standard with internal rotor (lightweight) CDI's.

If its got points (magnito) it either is a DT or has a DT ignition.

[mx250]

  Ouch.  OK,  excuse me for being ignorant here (still learning). 
How does one tell difference between '73 & '74 MX models?

Graphics ONLY

(The black forks are non-original  . The front gaurd looks wrong also. Should same shape as MX250A, below  )

Although the silver grey is classier and as a consequence pulls a superior quality pit tootsie  .

[Freakshow]

 check that MX250,  part manuals i have shows the 73 with a points set up.

[mx250]

check that MX250,  part manuals i have shows the 73 with a points set up.

Experience and the sales brochure tell me CDI  .

[Freakshow]

the grey and red stipe ones i seen had points still, maybe i just see the shitters or the dtmx bastardised versions

any way still dont explain why his has points on a 364 cases

[BETRIC]

FREAKY 73 MX250 HAS CDI AS STANDARD, I DON'T KNOW WHAT MANUAL YOU WERE LOOKING AT, I HAVE A FIRST EDITION JUL 1972 PRINTED MANUAL AND IT SAYS CDI, FIRST MODEL 73 MX250 HAD SAME SHAPE F/GUARD (FENDER) AS THE YZ250/360A, 74 MX250A CHANGED TO THE LATER SHAPE, THE PICTURE OF THE 73 MODEL LOOKS LIKE THE STANDARD FORKS BUT PAINTED BLACK.

[Yamaboy]

Yamaha has had CDI since the DT2 MX in 1972. Where do you get your information from Freaky? I would have thought that the Pitmans parts guy you told us you were would know a little bit more than you are displaying here. 

[mx250]

the grey and red stipe ones

If grey and red stripe it would be a DT2MX rather than an MX. Notwithstanding, they still had the CDI (mainly to get rid of the heavy flywheel magneto and give the engine the 'zip' and responsiveness of a MX racer.)

any way still dont explain why his has points on a 364 cases

The maggy of the DT series swaps straight in and is a great, cheap and effective way of changing the engine characteristics for slippery conditionc requiring throttle control (e.g. mud). Today they offer bolt on weights to the same effect. 

It is quite feasible that someone in the past has done just that. The heavy flywheel and MX porting and chamber makes for a great play racer/trail bike (been there, done that ).

Whose 'his'?

[firko]

Although the Yamaha MX series didn't set the motocross world on fire with their performance, I reckon that the company got it spot on the money with looks and attention to detail. Look at the silver bike above (not Sieges Poison 'Lil, the other one!) and you'd have to admit that they sure are a pretty piece of gear and when you compared them to Maico, Husky, Bultaco, CZ and the other Jap products of the time. The little details like a reed valve, well sorted CDI and the meticulous finish detail were top of the class. You can tell that Yamaha were so close to getting it right in '73 and by '75 the company had it got it really together. Still, on a bang for your buck, the old MX250 is a good, honest bike with tons of hot up potential and loads of character.

[Freakshow]

Yamaha has had CDI since the DT2 MX in 1972. Where do you get your information from Freaky? I would have thought that the Pitmans parts guy you told us you were would know a little bit more than you are displaying here. 

 i bought in the late model second hand stock, never said i was a parts interpreter dude.  but i also sold off a shit load of manuals about 500 before we sold all that shit to max, and flipped through most of them ( and kept just as many and i though i saw points sets

For some reason i thought the ealy ones where points, sorry for confusing things.  just i made a point to stay away from points and that one for some reason sticks in my head, i did have a yellow what must have been a painted Dt250 and we could never get that forker to power up, so i have always kept a wide berth from what i thought was pre 73 yamaha enduro/ dirter

woops makes me think of all the grey jobbies i never followed up, ahh well more left for everyone else :O)

[firko]

DT 250s are CDI as well. Are you sure you weren't looking at a DT1 or something??

[mx250]

Firko,

To give Yamaha full credit the MX was meant as a 'Play Racer'. "If you wanted a serious Yamaha MX'er buy a YZ" was Yamaha's policy. Thats why the MX was over weight and over engineered, came with oil injection, a 30mm carb and 'soft' power.

The MX was a Play Racer par excellence - first and foremost, cheap and reliable. The fact that it could easily be made go hard was the hallmark of Yamaha's two stroke knowledge - they didn't know how to make a bad two stroke.

I reckon if you put a Maico front end on, a lightweight rear brake/hub and some decent shocks, you won't pick the difference in proformance between the MX and the Europeans handling/chassis not withstanding.

If you used chromemolly steel for the chassis and paid attention to weight savings you would outperfrom the European comtempories. Hang on. Doesn't that describe a YZ  .

If Yamaha made a mistake it was in the Marketing dept not the Engineering dept. Marketing correctly identified the 'customers requirments' but  didn't correctly identify the 'customers needs'. They were a bunch of wankers and they 'needed' to look like their heros even if they couldn't ride well enough to do justice to their hero's bike.

Yamaha realised their mistake and went on to do the opposite (as did all the Japanese) - sold bikes that looked the same and were called the same but were like chalk and cheese.   

[Freakshow]

DT 250s are CDI as well. Are you sure you weren't looking at a DT1 or something??

fork i must be going metal, but i have a stack of 450-xxx  cases and im sure they had points in the box. so thats thats at least 6 ign sets, and i know for sure that old yammie i had , did have thermos and definately had points cause i remeber trying to file them through the window.

[BETRIC]

FIRKO DT250 STILL HAD POINTS, DT360 WERE THE ONE'S WITH THE CDI AS STANDARD.

[firko]

Oops sorry Freaky and thanks Betric. I have DT400 ignition on one of my RT1 engines so I figured the DT range all had CDI. Serves me right for figuring without checking.